Boeing has announced that is currently planning to end production of the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft in late 2025. According to the company, the decision will allow it to redirect its resources to future military aircraft programs and ramp up production for newer programs such as the T-7A Red Hawk trainer and MQ-25 Stingray autonomous refueling aircraft. Boeing further stated that it intends to focus on modernization and upgrade efforts for the existing F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleet.
“We are planning for our future, and building fighter aircraft is in our DNA,” said Steve Nordlund, Boeing Air Dominance vice president. “As we invest in and develop the next era of capability, we are applying the same innovation and expertise that made the F/A-18 a workhorse for the U.S. Navy and air forces around the world for nearly 40 years.”
Boeing reports that it has delivered more than 2,000 Hornets, Super Hornets and Growlers since the F/A-18 was introduced in 1983. In addition to the U.S. Navy, the model has gone to customers including Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. Boeing noted that F/A-18 production could potentially be extended into 2027 “if the Super Hornet is selected by an international customer.”
I guess it’ll be time for the Blue Angels to get new planes soon.
Hopefully still with people in the cockpit! F35s? Seems like that could be interesting…
The Blue Angels got new planes in 2020. Upgraded from legacy Hornets to Super Hornets. So probably gonna be until the Super Hornet is completely retired before they change again.
I don’t understand the comment below as Boeing didn’t start manufacturing the F18 until 1997 – “Boeing reports that it has delivered more than 2,000 Hornets, Super Hornets and Growlers since the F/A-18 was introduced in 1983.”
I would assume the theory is that when you merge two companies into one, the surviving name then IS the old company.
Would be easy to fact-check if Avweb linked to sources on releases like this but for some reason they stubbornly refuse to adopt that piece of basic internet courtesy.
Yeah that kind of stuff doesn’t ring right to me either. I work for a great big company that has merged and swallowed up and so forth (including the original company I hired on with 20+ years ago). Somehow the history of the acquisitions gets massaged into “we” (the acquirer) did this or that. Well, not really. Might be easier to talk about like that, but merging and acquiring doesn’t include past history. IMO…
The Top Gun curse.
Anytime a plane is featured in Top Gun, it gets retired in a year or two.
Mav is definitely hard on the hardware. Controller coffee shirt stains too.